News
6/9/2009 - AMERICAN BEHAVIORAL PROMOTES PREVENTION OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
AMERICAN BEHAVIORAL PROMOTES PREVENTION OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE
Ashley Halsey presents at Governor’s Labor/Management Conference
BIRMINGHAM, ALA. – June 9, 2009 — American Behavioral representatives stressed the importance of preventing substance abuse in the workplace on June 9 during the Governor’s Labor/Management Conference, held in Gulf Shores, Ala.
Ashley Halsey, Director of Corporate Relations at American Behavioral delivered a presentation entitled “Substance Abuse: Crisis in the Workplace and the Family.” Carol Pinkerton, Director of Sales for American Behavioral, was also on hand to meet and greet attendees.
Halsey addressed signs and symptoms of alcohol and drug abuse in both dynamics, as well as solutions and methods of intervention for employers, parents and guardians. The presenters also divulged the most commonly-abused substances and signs and symptoms for each.
The presentation comes on the heels of a new study from National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse on the economic cost of drug and alcohol abuse. The study reveals local, state and federal governments spent more than $460 billion in 2005 in health care, law enforcement, treatment and prevention costs related substance abuse and smoking.
According to Ashley Halsey, prevention is the key to reducing the economic and personal costs incurred by substance abuse and addiction.
“Particularly with the uncertainty of the economy, it is not uncommon for employees to fall into destructive patterns of drinking or drug use,” said Halsey. “Employers need to be prepared to recognize symptoms and intervene to help employees get the assistance they need to recover before the consequences of abuse become too costly.”
Earlier this year, American Behavioral launched a pilot program for employers aimed at preventing alcohol and drug abuse in the workforce.
The program is available to companies that provide American Behavioral’s Employee Assistance Programs and/or managed behavioral health care to their employees. Through the program, American Behavioral will provide alcohol and drug abuse assessments and referrals to preferred providers for employees who need treatment.
The program adds a new dimension to American Behavioral’s behavioral health care plans. While the company has always provided substance abuse assessments of employees based on referrals from human resources managers or positive drug screens, the new program will take a proactive approach to encourage employees to take a self-assessment and determine if they have a chemical dependency problem.
American Behavioral will also provide informational pamphlets regarding substance abuse that will be available to all employees at client companies. The pamphlets include a self-assessment quiz and contact information to seek professional help. Information will be placed in common areas throughout the workplace and distributed as payroll stuffers. American Behavioral will track the number of pamphlets that are distributed and informational calls that they receive to measure the effectiveness of the communication efforts.
In addition, American Behavioral will conduct substance abuse training seminars for managers and supervisors. The seminars will help leadership identify the signs of substance abuse and the proper protocols for intervention.
According to a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services survey, approximately 21.6 million adults surveyed abused alcohol or were alcohol dependent. April is Alcohol Awareness Month.
About American Behavioral:
Based in Birmingham, Ala., American Behavioral is a full-service managed behavioral health care organization providing Employee Assistance Program services, managed behavioral health care, pre-employment and promotional psychological testing, drug screening, manager and supervisor training, and critical-incident stress management. Today, American Behavioral serves more than 100 companies with employees and families in 50 states and Canada, providing behavioral health care services to more than 800,000 covered lives. For more information, visit the company’s Web site at www.americanbehavioral.com.
Media Contact: Tommy Palladino, 205-328-9334, tommy@prview.com
